"Do we really need a cure for autism"? asks Kristina Chew in her recent piece on Comment is Free. Chew's son Charlie is one of the millions of American children who have been diagnosed with the spectrum disorder, for which there is no cure.

The high numbers of children diagnosed with autism (one in 88 in the US) has gained the disorder much media attention. Even as the search for a cure continues to move forward – just this week a study in Norway found that women who took folic acid were 40 percent less likely to have a baby diagnosed with autism – parents like Chew are still very sensitive about the troubled history of its treatment.

The dramatically higher numbers of children diagnosed with autism have led some to declare that there is an autism epidemic. This ignores the fact that we have developed a better understanding of what autism is and thus diagnose it more often. This sense that autism is drastically on the rise, coupled with the difficulties of caring for an autistic child have fueled recent calls to "cure" autism. It's something I have grappled with watching my son grow up and learning more about this condition.

As a part of the Guardian's people's panel series, we want to hear from parents of children with autism, or anyone who's been diagnosed:

Has your physician's advice or guidance regarding you or your child changed over the years? How has the increase in media coverage of autism affected you? What would make a bigger difference to you at this point, finding a cure or improving the community and social support necessary for autistic kids to learn to live independently? Share your thoughts in the form below and we'll publish your responses on the Guardian.